shepaed



(No Model.)

P. SHOCKBR & A. H. SHEPARD.

V CARRIAGE BUTTON. No. 283, 76. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

WiTNESSEEl FIG.SI INVENTUREM UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

PAUL SHOGKER Ann ALBnnr H. SHEPARD, on rn ovrnnnon, RHODE ISLAND.

. CARRIAGE-BUTTON.

SPEC IFICAT'I 0N forming To all whom zit-may concern:

Be it known that we, PAUL Srrocnnn and ALBERT H. SHEPARD, both of the city and county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have inventeda new and useful Improve ment in Carriage-Buttons; and we do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same, is a description thereof.

Our invention consists in a carriage-button composed of a body portion provided wit-h a screw-shank or other means of attachment, by which it can be rigidly securedcto the carriage, and a head which is hinged, in the manner hereinafter described, to the outer end of said body portion, the normal position of said head being at right angles to the axial length of the button, but capable of turning upon its hinge at right angles, or nearly so, to said nor mal position, thus presenting an edge to the front, in order to permit of greater conven ience in buttoning and unbuttoning the curtains, boot-straps, 81.0.

It is well known that in buttoning and unbuttoning the curtains and boot-straps of a carriage considerable trouble is experienced in forcing the curtains or straps over the rigid head of the common carriage-button, owing to the stiffness of the leather, &c., and that the button-holes soon become damaged by the strain upon them in buttoning and 'unb'utton- The pbject of our invention is to provide a button having a head over which the buttonholes can be readily and easily passed without material strain, which head can be placed or turned to a position securely to retain the curtains or straps in place.

The object of our invention is to provide a secure audstrong button, the head of which can be turned inthe manner indicated above, and

1 which is at the same time adapted to sustain the great strain to which such buttons are sub' jected. i

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of our improved carriagebutton, with its head in partial section. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the same,with the head and a portion of the body in section. Fig. 3

- shows a portionof a curtain secured upon our improved button. I

A is the body portion of the button, which is provided with a screw-shank, B, preferably gimletpointed, or with an unthreaded shank 'said bridgepiece.

part of Letters Patent No. 283,676, dated August 21, 1883. Application filed March 21, 1883. (Nb model.)

adapted to be driven, or with other means whereby the buttonean be securely attached to the frame of the carriage. The base a of the body is extended, so as to furnish a firm bearing for the button, and said body is slotted, asshown in Fig. 1, so as to provide a bridgepiece, a, at its upper end.

The button-head C may be formed in a va-* riety of ways, so as to be hinged to the body A and allow the head to be turned down upon the body; but in the drawings it is shown as composed of a shell, D, a slotted plate, E, having I a loop, 6, and a spring, .15, secured within the head. The head 0 is combined with the body in a well-known manner, so that the bridgepiece a of the body occupies the loop 6, and is held bysaid loop against the spring F, there by bringing the head to the body, so-that the former can be tilted or turned down upon the latter. The upper face of the bridgepiece a is flat, and is in direct contact with the spring F when the head is in normal positionthat is, at right angles to the body-so that the head is held by the spring in a position to retain the curtains, &c., upon the button. In turning the head 0 to one side the spring F is carried over a corner or edge of the bridgepiece a, being thereby compressed until the spring is brought into contact with a side of WVhen the head is turned to one side therefor, it is held by the engagement of the spring with a side of the bridgepiece in such aposition that the curtains, 850.,

same in its given position, and we prefer to employ such spring, believing that the same renders the button more convenient to use, yet it is plain that a convenient and service able button can be made without the employment of such spring, being in other respects substantially as described.

- -\Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A carriagebutton consisting of a shank for attaching it to the carriage, a body portion having a bridge-piece, and ahead having a plate looped about the shank, whereby the head is securely held to the body and permitted to turn.

' PAUL SILOGKER. .Vitnesses: ALBERT H. SHEPARD.

STEPHEN W. Nronnnson,

FREDERICK W. 'Mr'rcHELL. 

